We have been dealing with the issue of apostles
and prophets and the reason why God had Paul lists them in that order. Remember that the way Paul talks about the
apostles and prophets in Ephesians 3:5 is consistent with the book of Ephesians
and with his ministry to the church the body of Christ, as opposed to how the
Bible refers to those offices in time past - (first) prophets and (then)
apostles.
Let’s look at our text again:
Ephesians 3:5
[speaking of the mystery of Christ] Which in other ages [before the age of grace]was not made known unto the sons of
men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the
Spirit;
We explained how after Paul, there were
secondary apostles in the body of Christ.
God communicated the mystery to them by the Spirit of God.
Romans 1:5
By whom we [Paul and others] have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith
among all nations, for his name:
Paul is the head apostle who also
received visions and revelations.
2 Corinthians
12:1
It is not expedient for
me doubtless to glory. I will come to visions and revelations of the
Lord.
We see that there are secondary
apostles, who established churches, throughout the book of Acts, as well. The Spirit of God revealed the mystery of
Christ to the prophets who would identify and speak/prophesy God’s word.
1 Corinthians
13:9
For we know in part, and we prophesy
in part.
1
Thessalonians 5:19-21
Quench not the Spirit. Despise not prophesyings. Prove all things; hold fast that which is
good.
But there were apostles in the body of
Christ first:
1 Corinthians
12:27-28
Now ye are the body of
Christ, and members in particular. And
God hath set some in the church [the body of Christ], first apostles, secondarily
prophets [so we see the order when it comes to the body], thirdly teachers, after that
miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.
That is why Paul intentionally says in
Ephesians 3:5, ‘apostles and prophets.’
Ephesians
2:20
[speaking of the one body] And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and
prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;
Ephesians
4:11
And he gave some, apostles;
and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and
teachers;
So that is the order in the body of
Christ. But in prophecy there is another
group of prophets and apostles (including Peter, James and John who learned from
Paul but who were not a part of the body of Christ’s holy apostles and
prophets).
In the prophetic book of Luke, the Lord
Jesus Christ mentions prophets and apostles as he upbraids the unbelieving,
religious leaders of Israel.
Luke 11:48-49
Truly ye bear witness that ye allow the
deeds of your fathers: for they indeed killed them, and ye build their
sepulchres. Therefore also said
the wisdom of God, I will send them [Israel]
prophets and apostles, and some of them they shall slay
and persecute:
So when God dealt with Israel in
prophecy, he sent prophets first; and then during Christ’s earthly ministry he
ordained twelve disciples/apostles.
Matthew 10:1
And when he had called
unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits,
to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease.
Israel is built upon the prophets. Moses was a prophet.
Deuteronomy
34:10
And there arose not a prophet
since in Israel like unto Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face,
Luke 24:27
And beginning at Moses
and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the
things concerning himself.
Jesus Christ our Lord was a
prophet. God first sent prophets to
Israel, and then apostles under the kingdom program.
Acts 3:22
For Moses truly
said unto the fathers, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto
you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things
whatsoever he shall say unto you.
In another prophetic book, 2 Peter in
the Hebrew epistles, the order in which the prophets and apostles are listed is
consistent with the old testament scriptures.
2 Peter 3:2
That ye may be mindful of
the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the
commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Saviour:
Peter talks about himself as a holy
apostle to Israel, but first gives honor to the holy prophets. We can see the distinction in the Bible
between the mystery program and the prophetic program in the specific order in
which prophets and apostles are listed.
The one exception is in the book of
Revelation, the only prophetic book that lists apostles and prophets in the
same order as Paul’s epistles. That is
because John writes all his books futuristically. He calls Christ Jehovah God, who calls those things that be not as though
they were (Romans
4:17).
John 3:13
And no man hath ascended
up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which
is in heaven.
Jesus Christ had not yet ascended into
heaven (John
20:17, Acts
1:9), and he was not in heaven when he was saying this to Nicodemus.
In Revelation 18:20, John is making
reference to a future people.
Revelation 18:20
Rejoice over her [destroyed Babylon], thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets; for God
hath avenged you on her.
Isn’t that interesting?! With the destruction of Babylon in the
future, John calls for rejoicing and links heaven with holy apostles and
prophets. He lists the apostles before
the prophets (as does Paul), but notice where they are. They are in heaven! They are members of the church the body of
Christ which will already be in heaven when John’s prophecy of the Day of the
Lord will be taking place.
Revelation
12:12a
Therefore rejoice, ye
heavens, and ye that dwell in them [the
body of Christ, as well as the holy angels].
So the reason that John did not list
the prophets first like Luke and Peter did, is because he is talking about
those in the body of Christ and not those in the prophetic program for
Israel. The holy apostles and prophets
in the body of Christ were persecuted just like those in Israel, the Little
Flock members.
Matthew 5:12
Rejoice, and be exceeding
glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the
prophets which were before you.
John 15:20
Remember the word that I
said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have
persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my
saying, they will keep yours also.
Acts 7:52
Which of the prophets
have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which shewed
before of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers
and murderers:
Galatians
1:13
For ye have heard of my conversation in
time past in the Jews' religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted
the church of God, and wasted it:
2 Corinthians
4:9
Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast
down, but not destroyed;
1
Thessalonians 2:15
Who
both killed the Lord Jesus, and their own prophets, and have persecuted
us; and they please not God, and are contrary to all men:
Once the church was established, the
prophets would prophecy the word of God (the mystery of Christ). God supernaturally imparted this information
to them. Prophecy was a supernatural-operating
gift of the Spirit.
1 Corinthians
14:1-3, 6, 39
Follow after charity, and
desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy. For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue
speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for no man understandeth him; howbeit in
the spirit he speaketh mysteries. But he
that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification, and exhortation, and
comfort.
Now, brethren, if I come
unto you speaking with tongues, what shall I profit you, except I shall speak
to you either by revelation, or by knowledge, or by prophesying, or by
doctrine?
Wherefore, brethren, covet
to prophesy, and forbid not to speak with tongues.
The reason that we no longer have
apostles and prophets is because we now have the completed word of God.
1 Corinthians
13:8-10
Charity never faileth:
but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there
be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge,
it shall vanish away. For
we know in part, and we prophesy in part.10 But when that which is
perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.
The operating of the spiritual gifts is
a huge issue in the church; but Paul
tells us that they were only temporary in nature until the word of God, particularly
the mystery of Christ, was fully communicated.
To
be continued…
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